Team Haze: It's Because of Fate
by SoulTheMunchlax
Summary: Coal wakes up in a forest, her memories lost, only that she remembers she was human. A Houndour named Devil discovers her there and let's her stay at his den. Together, they form a Rescue Team they named Team Haze because they're both Dark types that can melt in the shadows. Along the way, Coal slowly learns about her past as the Pokemon world gets closer to it's destruction.
1. Waking Up

I was in that special state between consciousness and unconsciousness. I didn't want to wake up. The sleep-consumed half of me seemed really appealing right now. But something was nudging my side.  
I grudgingly opened my eyes and the small amount of light that penetrated the leaves of the great trees nearly blinded me. But the thing that finally got me to open my eyes was the dark face of a Houndour blinking down at me.  
"Are you okay?" said the Pokemon in a low growl. It wasn't a threatening growl, but strangely calming and kind.  
I blinked groggily, my mind still unclear. "I dunno. Where am I?"  
The Dark Pokemon tilted his head to the side, his black eyes thoughtful. "Well we dont really have a name for it. Pokemon just call it Hero Town because of the Rescue Teams." His ears twitched at the mention of these 'Rescue Teams'. I had no idea what they were so I simply returned his explanation with a blank look.  
He just stared back steadily. "You're not from around here. I'm Devil, by the way. What's your name?"  
"I-I don't remember," I muttered weakly. "How can I understand you? I'm a human and you're a Pokemon."  
Devil let out a short little bark of mirth. "A human?" he scoffed. "Come look at your reflection." I hadn't noticed before, but the scenery was actually pretty nice for a forest. Endless rows of trees extended in all directions. You can name any tree- birch, pine, oak- and it'd be here. The grass was soft underneath me and the air smelled clear of human contamination. It was beautiful.  
But the most breathtaking thing was the lake. I lay in a heap beside it, marveling at it's glamour. It had a gentle glow and the surface glittered in the weak sunlight. The body of water almost seemed magical.  
"They say the legendary Pokemon Suicune purified this lake before he vanished. That's why they call it Crystal Lake," sighed Devil absentmindedly, breaking me away from the lake's grasp. I shook my head, remembering that I was supposed to be looking at my reflection. My eyes rolled over and focused on Crystal Lake's surface.  
What I saw wasn't what I was expecting. The lake showed me a little black fox with red markings. I blinked, puzzled, and the fox blinked too. Then the fox's ears flattened uncomfortably and I realized I had instinctively done so as well. "I'm...I'm a Zorua?" I spluttered. It kind of hurt as I attempted to stand.  
Devil shifted his paws worriedly. "Well, yeah. I thought you were kidding when you said you were human. I can show you around town, and I own a little place that you can rest in until you get better and remember your name and stuff. I don't get a lot of company but..." Half of the sentence came out kind of awkwardly.  
"Sounds good. It's not like I know what else to do." I smiled, but even that was painful.  
"Anyway, since you can't remember your name, what do I call you? The people of Hero Town can't just call you 'That Female Zorua'."  
I mulled it over for a bit. "Hmm...I guess you can call me..." My eyes drifted to my reflection again. The red on my fur reminded me of fire sparking from lumps of coal. Although, I don't think 'reminded' is the right word.  
"You can call me Coal."


	2. Welcome Home

Somehow, Devil was able to maneuver through the labyrinth of flora with me on his back to a hollow under a large tree. Someone had dug a hole under so the roots created a protective veil. A wooden mailbox in the with a Pidgey silhouette carved on the side stood sadly beside the den. It looked like a small breeze would tip it over. I couldn't really see inside the shelter. It must be really deep.  
"Well we're here," he said breezily. This guy was too relaxed. I suppose that's just his nature.  
"Let's go!" I hopped off his back hastily, hoping to find some food in the den.  
Big mistake. I landed awkwardly and ended up tumbling into the hole without a chance to catch myself. I heard a muffled snicker from outside and immediately sat up, gathering what dignity I had left.  
Devil padded in more gracefully than me...until I yanked a vine hanging by the opening and caused him to trip. I snickered, my Impish nature overcoming the slight ache that was caused when I moved. Hm...I guess you learn something new about yourself every day. I suppose I have a lot of learning to do in my case.  
"Thanks a lot," grunted my friend. His face was buried in the dirt, much to my pleasure. Oh, sweet revenge.  
I grinned and winked cheekily. "That's why you don't mess with me."  
He shrugged it off and strode into the darkness fearlessly. A moment later, a fire was lit. An underground fireplace?  
The light allowed me to take in the room. A bed of grass and moss was set in front of the fireplace. Two chairs and a stone table resided on the right side of the room. A variety of berries rested in a woven basket that was perched in the middle of the table. Along the walls were paintings of strange places, from a flaming volcano to a peaceful meadow. The dirt floor was mostly covered by a large, round mat with Pikachu stripes on it. Other than the fact that the den was made of dirt (wurmple poop), this place was actually pretty cozy.  
Devil trotted over to me and gently scooped me up in his jaws. "Lemme down!" I yelped defiantly. He did that, but only when we reached the bed.  
"Considering that you're injured and have amnesia, I think rest is just what you need," the Houndour said matter-of-factly. He got up again, and this time he brought the basket of berries. "Have some Oran Berries, Sitrus Berries, Apples, and a berry of your choice," Devil ordered.  
"No meat?" I asked, sniffing at the healthy-stuff experimentally. For some reason, I was able to recognize every berry from Rawst to Bluk. "Ooh Pinap Berry! Smells kind of spicy though, but I don't mind."  
"Er...well we don't really eat meat. Seems kind of cannibalistic, you know? We're pretty similar to animals, if you haven't noticed. Of course, we're smarter and better adapted," replied Devil awkwardly.  
"Oh, now that I think about it..." I muttered, distracted by a particularly juicy apple.  
***TIMESKIP***  
Stuffed, I curled into a ball and yawned loudly. Just one apple was surprisingly filling and the berries took up all the left over space.  
"Hey, Coal, since you don't know why you're a Pokemon and don't have anything else to do until you get you memories back, would you like to join a Rescue Team with me?" inquired Devil as he lay across from me without a nest.  
"What's a Rescue Team? I heard you say it before when you told me where I was." I yawned again, my words coming out funny because of it.  
A glow of excitement entered his eyes. "A Rescue Team," he barked in a dramatic voice, "is a group or pair of Pokemon who work together to help those in need. We need them especially now because strange things have been happening."  
Strange things...But what else could I do in a place I barely know? Helping others would be good. "Well I might as well make use of myself. Let's do it."  
"Great! We'll see to it tomorrow," he sighed drowsily. The glow in his eyes faded and was replaced with fogginess. Eventually, his eyes closed and his breathing became shallow.  
A Rescue Team...what am I getting myself into?


	3. Robbery

Morning came sooner than I'd hoped, but at least I felt a bit refreshed. In fact, all traces of weariness had faded. Those berries were pretty magical.  
"Come on, Coal!" shouted Devil, wide awake even though the sun was barely up itself. "Today's the day we become a Rescue Team!" A grin stretched across his face as he led the way out.  
I stumbled blindly after, my brain not quite registering the dew on the grass and birdsong. "What about breakfast?!" I whined.  
He ignored me, much to my irritation. I slunk after him and my stomach gave pitiful growls. A nice, juicy apple just seemed so irresistable.  
I was so distracted and sleepy that I walked right into Devil without realizing he'd stopped. "Watch your step. You must've been a clumsy human," he joked. "This is the path that leads into town. My den is pretty close, so you'll know the way eventually."  
Before us stretched a well worn path. Plants lined the sides, so walking on it felt like going through a hallway or something. The earth was soft beneath me, similar to Devil's den. I could see shapes of buildings in the distance.  
At last, we arrived. I was already slightly winded. What happened to me? Why am I a Pokemon? What beat the strength out of me? "Ah, Hero Town," breathed Devil. "The Rescue Base should be somewhere near Town Square."  
The town seemed simple enough. A couple shops lay here and there. "Mind giving me a tour on our way there?" I asked, curiosity eating at me.  
He nodded. "Of course. I was going to do that anyway. Try not to interupt. There are a lot of things to talk about."  
"Now, that's the Storage Center. It's run by three Pokemon," Devil explained, pointing at a building painted oddly with pink, purple, and yellow. The colors divided the building into thirds. "There's a Purrloin named Sneak. She takes care of opening any special chests we find in these places called Mystery Dungeons. As a Rescue Team, we'll be going into Dungeons all the time, so I'll explain them when we do our first job. A Skitty known as Charm keeps track of everyone's money. The last member, a Scraggy called Baggs, stores all the items we find." Mystery Dungeons...Sure sounds interesting.  
"Over there is the Dojo and Nursery." The Houndour indicated to two buildings. One was a bamboo hut that had a large field extending behind it. I could here grunting and panting. The second place was woven from sticks and had a warm, comforting aura coming from it.  
"The owners of the Dojo are Zang the Zangoose and Toxin the Seviper, two Pokemon who are known as fierce rivals. That's what makes them such great training masters. A Togekiss named Angela takes care of the eggs. Eggs are usually given as rewards from completing Jobs as a Rescue Team."  
"Hmm...Now here are two curious places," mused Devil. "That's the Link Shop and the other place is where The Caller lives."  
One building was a blinding yellow. Two antenna things stuck out on the roof and electricity raced back and forth through the gap between them. The other was round. It looked like it was molded from stone. I could hear a loud voice screaming names of random Pokemon.  
"Linking is kind of weird. Zeal, the Ampharos, 'links' two of you attacks, so when you use one the other immediately follows. I heard it's painful, so I don't reccomend it. An Exploud known as The Caller, or Screech if you prefer, is even stranger. That's not actually his name, though. Most of us don't like calling him by his Russian name, Vizzhat', and he doesn't mind. Anyway, sometimes Pokemon in the Mystery Dungeons want to join your team, and Screech will call them for you whenever you need them for a Job."  
Devil let out a gusty sigh. "Alright we're almost there. But there's one last place that sells some pretty interesting stuff. We call it the Autumn Market. Their supplies are limited, but the goods are...well good. They sell food, tools, and Technical Machines (or TMs). TMs magically teach you a certain move. They're hard to explain."  
A while later, we arrived at what I assumed was Town Square. The place was a square, after all. "Is that the Market?" Whoops. Forgot I wasn't supposed to talk, but I can't stay quiet forever. I assumed it was the Autumn Market because the roof was layered with beautiful bright leaves, even though I was pretty sure it was the middle of Spring. Plus, there were shelves and string (webbing?) holding merchandise.  
Devil didn't seem notice my question. He was distracted by something happening at the place I'd asked about.  
"What? Aren't you going to fight back?" jeered a male Spearow who was holding a TM with one foot.  
"I bet they're too chicken!" cackled a ghostly figure. A female Shuppet who was juggling three stolen items with her strange abilities.  
A Croagunk that looked like a member of the group squatted calmly beside the two cocky Pokemon, a large apple on his head. Maybe I could sneak a bite while he's distracted...  
"Let's go," the Croagunk suddenly croaked. He waddled off and I was surprised to see the other two hurrying after him.  
"Whatever, boss!" crowed the Spearow, beating his wings wildly. The Shuppet trailed after him like an ominous shadow.  
Devil's face was a mask of shock. I nudged him over in the direction of the Market. That seemed to get him back to his senses. "Blaze! Luna! Vee!" he yelped, rushing to the store with me trailing behind.  
I hadn't realized it before, but there were Pokemon crouched in the back of the place. A Monferno, obiously Blaze, crouched defensively in front of a Butterfree and Eevee. The Eevee was an odd grey, instead of the normal brown.  
"Devil! You have to help us!" chirped the Eevee in a shrill voice. "That gang took some of our best goods!"  
"Yes, we need those items. It costed a lot to get them in the first place," hummed the Butterfree.  
My partner nodded quickly. "Of course Vee. We won't let you down. And Luna, your hard-earned money won't go to waste. I stood there, letting Devil decide because these Pokemon were obviously his friends.  
He turned to me. "All right, Coal. I know this is sudden, and we haven't even been able to officially become a team yet, but these Pokemon need our help. They're one of the main groups that keep our town running."  
Determination blazed within me. "We won't let them down! Let's do this!"


	4. A Little Echo, An Endless Darkness

"I saw them go this way," informed Devil. "But I don't know which path they took." He narrowed his eyes in frustration.  
Devil had led us to some kind of mountain area. There were trees all over the place, but that was because we were still at the bottom. I'm pretty sure there'd be less life, plant or Pokemon, at the top.  
"Can't you sniff them out or something? I mean, dog-like Pokemon are supposed to have good senses," I suggested.  
He shook his head. "That's true, but they masked their scent well. I can't pick them out of the smell of rocks and earth."  
I twitched my ears irritably. There must be some way to find them.  
"Um...I'm Echo. Are you looking for a gang of bad Pokemon led by a shady Croagunk?" squeaked a shy voice. A tiny Zubat crouched in the shadows of one of the mountain trees.  
"Yes, actually. Did you happen to see them?" replied Devil politely.  
Echo nodded quickly. "They kidnapped my Mommy and said if I didn't pay up in a week, they'd hurt her!" he cried.  
"That's sick!" I growled. "Devil, we have to save her. This is more serious than a simple robbery!"  
"Alright," he muttered, keeping his always-cool composure. "We need you to tell us where they went, Echo."  
"R-resonance Cave. They told me to go there when I had the money. B-b-but I don't have any! That means I can't pay you for saving her either!" Echo chirped with worry.  
"It's okay, we don't need a reward for righting a wrong! You just wait here," I reassured him with a warm smile. Devil looked at me with a strange expression, and I'm not sure, but I think it was awe. "I'm pretty sure you know the way, so lead us there, Devil."  
He nodded, sprinting up the mountain with me in dashing after. I could feel the hope radiating from little Echo.  
So this is what being a Rescue Team is like...  
***TIMESKIP***  
There was a sign planted awkwardly beside a yawning hole that read "Resonance Cave".  
"THANK ARCEUS! WE FINALLY MADE IT UP!" I howled. Devil chuckled, amused.  
"It was just a short hike up," he laughed. "Anyway, this is one of the many Mystery Dungeons all over the world. Rescue Teams go in and out of places like this all the time. There are a lot of...territorial Pokemon. Get ready to fight."  
"Wait, but how do I fight? What kind of Pokemon are there? Why do I have to fight them? Why do they fight us? Aren't they like us? I mean-"  
"Hold up! Let me stop you right there!" yelled Devil. "Hmm...that's right, you used to be human. Well a Zorua's basic moves should be Pursuit, Scratch, and Leer. Battling should come naturally, but if you ever get tired because you're putting too much energy in attacks, just attack without using your moves."  
"Now, about the Pokemon. Naturally, cave Pokemon will dwell in here. Whismur, Zubat, Geodude, Woobat, Roggenrola, and Nosepass will appear mostly. Resonance Cave is where most beginner Teams start."  
"Like I said before, a lot of crazy things have been happening. Pokemon are becoming feral. Disasters are happening. Those who live in Dungeons are more exposed because they're in the wild and not in towns. So they become angered, believing that Pokemon who live in cities, towns, and stuff are ruining the natural balance. A long time ago, everyone lived in the wild, you know."  
"But all that changed. Some of us realized that there were actually bad Pokemon out there, taking advantage of the weak. Rescue Teams were formed and town sprouted, turning into cities. Some Pokemon saw that this new way of life was easier, some thought it was a mistake.  
"So a silent war broke out. The wild Pokemon refused to change and stayed in the patches of nature called Mystery Dungeons, and the civil Pokemon expanded their borders. That's why they attack us."  
Devil let out a large yawn. "Okay, enough explaining, already. We better go before we lose them. Their base is probably at the end of this cave."  
"Right. Sorry I don't know anything," I said quietly, half to myself.  
"It's not your fault. You're here for a reason and we'll find out why," breathed Devil, plunging into the endless darkness.


End file.
